Breaking the habit
by JD-HIV
Summary: PG, just to be safe. Shadow was just created and is trying to get used to the world.
1. Magnum Opus

Breaking The Habit

Memories consume Like opening the wound  
I'm picking me apart again  
You all assume I'm safe here in my room  
Unless I try to start again

I don't want to be the one The battles always choose  
'Cause inside I realize That I'm the one confused

The dark figure slowly opened his eyes and looked around slowly. He couldn't see anything and his eyes stung. He tried moving his arms and found that there were wire tubes coming from his body and connecting to something that was stopping him from moving. He clenched his teeth together and pulled on the wires detaching them from his arms and legs. He then grabbed the ones at his back and pulled those out as well, before coming to the one at the back of his neck. He gripped it tightly and pulled, pain shooting throughout his body. He brought his hands up to his face to rub the sting out of his eyes, but found that there was some kind of metal helmet covering the top of his head from the top of his nose up. He felt around for somewhere to go but all his hands connected with, was water and glass. The figure started to get lightheaded and finally figured out what the tube had been for. He started to panic. 'Where am I? Who am I? This is not like before. Was everything else, just a dream?'

"Someone get him out of there" He heard a deep voice say. "This one must survive" A female ran to one of the keypads and was just about to drain the water when a surge of electricity ran through it and blasted her away. The keypad blew up sending pieces of metal and glass flying everywhere. The man who had spoken earlier watched in horror as the glass tubing started to crack and break. Water started spraying out of the cracks from the pressure before the tube finally shattered. The figure fell to the ground, no longer held up by the water. The figure looked up, still sightless and looked blindly straight at the doctor. The doctor stared in shock that he knew where he was standing. The doctor took a few steps to the side, careful not to make any noise and again the figures blind gaze followed. "This is amazing. No matter where I go, even if he can't see he knows where I am. Can you imagine him in battle" The man asked.

"Battle" The figure said, clearly confused. 'How do I know these words?' "Who am I"

"You, are Project Shadow. A highly evolved specimen. You have been cloned from your original to be stronger and more powerful." Shadow looked down a moment thinking about what he had just said. 'Is that all I am? A shadow of someone else?' He thought. "You will be a great tool in the upcoming war against earth."

"Is that all I am to you? A tool that can be used and thrown away once it's of no use" He said angrily, his black hands clutching into fists.

"You were created by humans to obey them! That's all your purpose is" Shadow clenched his teeth and snarled. 'That cannot be true! I must have some meaning other than to obey!'

"Is that my purpose? Or is that what you want my purpose to be?... Human." Shadow asked. "I will not be a thing you can control! I am my own person. I'm not a robot you can just shut down and rebuild because you don't like it" Shadow stood up quickly and went into a defensive pose, his hands clenched into fists, his feet spread apart ready to pounce.

"How are you supposed to attack me if you can't see me" The doctor said. "You could fallow me when I stepped aside. But that doesn't prove anything" Shadow smirked evilly and 'looked' at him.

"Scared to give me the chance" There was a long silence and Shadow could hear the man's heart rate go up. At this rate, he was more likely to die of fear or a heart attack. After a few more seconds of silence Shadow jumped up and did a front flip, landing behind the doctor, blocking the only exit. The doctor gasped. He hadn't even seen Shadow move. Shadow quickly grabbed the doctor's head in between his hands and twisted quickly to the side.

The sound of the man's neck snapping made a painful but satisfying sound and Shadow couldn't help but smile at the thought of the power he possessed. He hadn't even tried to his full compacity and he had still taken his first life. Shadow heard the other doctor get up and hit an alarm. The alarm went off loudly. The power weren't out and was replaced by a red light that only came on every few seconds. Shadow grabbed the woman, who soon met the same fate as the other doctor. Shadow ran out of the room and ran threw a hall. He quickly turned a corner and ran straight into someone. He stood up and got into a defensive position.

"Are you what all the fuss is about" The voice sounded like music to his ears. He had never heard anything more beautiful. "You don't look dangerous to me" She said, tilting her head to the side and examined him. "Here let me help you" She took a step forward and he stepped back and crouched down ready to leap. "I'm not going to hurt you! I just want to take that silly thing off your head" She laughed. "I mean, I don't think you can see through it can you" Shadow shook his head. 'What is this person doing? Doesn't she realize that I can kill her if I wanted to!' "Come here! I'm not going to hurt you"

"How do you know I'm not going to hurt you" Shadow asked. The girl shrugged.

"If you wanted to hurt me, you'd have done it already" Shadow let down his defensive position and let her take off his 'helmet'. "There, now isn't that better" She asked. Shadow squinted as the red light passed over his eyes and he hissed in pain. "Oh you poor thing! I don't know why my father had to put you through that! He's just a big bully" She said.

"Your father" He asked eyeing her suspiciously. He backed away slowly and she laughed.

"Don't worry, I won't tell him I saw you! What's your name" She asked. Shadow thought about this a moment. He didn't really know. Then he remembered what the doctor had said.

"Shadow" He said.

"Shadow." She said, thinking about it. "I like it."

"What's your name" Shadow asked.

"Maria" She said simply.

"Maria." He copied her. "I like it." She laughed.

"Shadow do you trust me" Maria asked. Shadow thought about it a moment then nodded. She was the closest thing he had to a friend. "Stay here then." She said, hiding him and the helmet in a small cupboard. "I'll be right back." Shadow sat in the small cupboard for at least forty-five minutes before Maria came back. He had heard the alarms stop as she opened the door. "Shadow? You can come out now! No one is going to hurt you" She said. "My father heard about what the other doctor had said to set you off and has sent me to explain to you why he really created you. In a sense, the doctor was right." She said. She saw the anger fill his eyes and she put a hand on his arm to relax him. "But he was wrong too! You are free to do whatever you want here! He has created you so that I can teach you all you need to know about the world and the up coming battle and then you can choose whether or not you want to help us! But I really hope you do"

"And if I don't want to stay here" Maria sighed sadly.

"Then my father will send a G.U.N team to terminate you! But I really hope you will stay! I don't have any friends here and could use one" Shadow thought a moment. "Will you be my friend" Shadow looked at her and nodded. Maria smiled and gave him a hug. Shadow pushed her away and looked at her angrily.

"I thought you said you were my friend. If so, why did you just attack me!" Maria looked shocked at first, and then laughed.

"I didn't attack you shadow!" She said. "I hugged you! Its what people do to show you care!" Shadow thought about it a moment then shook his head.

"Weird way to show it!" Maria stood up and Shadow looked up at her, her being three feet taller than him.

"Come on, I'll show you to your room!"

TBC. Plz RR


	2. Escape Into Nihility

I don't know what's worth fighting for  
Or why I have to scream  
I don't know why I instigate  
And say what I don't mean  
I don't know how I got this way  
I know it's not alright  
So I'm breaking the habit  
Tonight

Shadow sat on the bed bouncing slightly up and down testing the bed springs. Maria laughed at his look of confusion.

"It's a bed Shadow, you sleep on it."

"Sleep?" Shadow asked.

"Yes, you do it when you're tired. Or out of energy." Shadow nodded in understanding. All of a sudden they felt the floor beneath them shake and the alarm went off again. Shadow and Maria jumped up and ran to her grandfather's office. When they got there they saw Gerald running around his office gabbing numerous things and pushing buttons on the keypad in front of him.

"What's going on?" Maria asked.

"We're being attacked by the military." He said. He then turned to her and grabbed her arm. He dragged her towards the escape pods with Shadow following them. "There's one left Maria. Take it and get to earth. Shadow I need you to push the release button so she can escape. Can you do this for me?" Shadow looked at Gerald and nodded.

"But, what about you?" Maria asked. Gerald looked sadly at her.

"There's only enough room for one person Maria. You need to leave… I have to stay here. The military found out about project Shadow and decided to terminate it… him." He said sadly. "I must go now." He said, as he ran out the door, a tear running down his face. Shadow walked Maria to the escape pod and went to help Maria in, but before she stepped on the circle, she grabbed Shadow's arm and threw him down and closed the glass casing around him.

"Maria No!" He saw the door to the room open and three military men came in with guns at the ready. One of them saw Maria run towards the keypad and shot her in the back. "MARIA!" Shadow yelled, putting his hands up against the glass. One of the men aimed and shot at Shadow putting a small hole in the thick glass.

"Shadow, please I beg of you. Help the people of earth to be happy." She said as she put her hand on the keypad. "Sayonara Shadow the hedgehog."

"MARIA!" He yelled, as the escape pod took off into space. He slammed his fist against the glass in frustration and soon realized his mistake. The glass started to crack from the bullet hole. The bullet fell out of the glass as it loosened from the cracks. Shadow felt heat entering the pod as he entered the thermosphere. The pod began the shake and Shadow was thrown back into the side and let darkness overcome him.

TBC… Plz RR


	3. Concept Concealed

Clutching my cure  
I tightly lock the door  
I try to catch my breath again  
I hurt much more  
Than anytime before  
I had no options left again

I don't want to be the one  
The battles always choose  
'Cause inside I realize  
That i'm the one confused

I don't know what's worth fighting for  
Or why I have to scream  
I don't know why I instigate  
And say what I don't mean  
I don't know how I got this way  
I know it's not alright  
So I'm breaking the habit  
Tonight

Shadow sat up groggily and hit his head on the glass above him. He rolled over and rubbed his head. The side of the glass pod was busted in and he crawled out, glass cutting into his hands. 'Where am I?' He thought. 'Why can I not remember?' He got up and looked around dizzily.

"Shadow, do this from me." He remembered a girl say. "I beg of you… do it for me… from the people of earth… I need… revenge!" He smiled evilly at the memory.

Little did he know the memory… wasn't real.

I'll paint it on the walls  
'Cause i'm the one at fault  
I'll never fight again  
And this is how it ends

I don't know what's worth fighting for  
Or why I have to scream  
But now I have some clarity  
To show you what I mean  
I don't know how I got this way  
I'll never be alright  
So I'm breaking the habit  
Breaking the Habit  
Tonight


End file.
